Collapsing mechanism for tire cores



Sept. 9, 1930. E. cs. TEMPLETON COLLAPSIBLE IECHANISI FOR TIRE CORISFiled NOV. 25, 1927 (IL 14 l sfi NvENTOR BY Edwina. Templelon, M DMZ/WATTORN EY Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED S ATES ,"PATEN'T OFFICE}, i

EDWIN G. TEMPLETON, F Arman, 0 1110, essien'on To" THEGOODYEAR TIRE &nun- BER COMPANY, or AKRON, OHIO, .A CORPORATION on OHIO i ooLLArsmeMECHANISM non 'rrnnoonns Application filed November 25, 1927. Serial No.235,456. I

. I invention relates to apparatus for f abricatmg pneumatic .tirecasings and it has particular relation to building cores em:

ployed in the process of assembling the vari-' ous elements of atire-casing.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple and highlyeificient mechanismior collapsing asegmental tire core.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a simpleand easilyoperated means for maintamlng the core 6801310113111 operatlve'positionff In the manufacture of pneumatic tire casings arotatable corewhich may be either toroidal ori'cylindrical inform is employed.

Generally, thesecores are composed of a num ber' ofpivoted segmentsadapted to be so collapsed that assembled tire casings may be removedtherefrom. Thecore mechanisms heretofore employed have usuallybeendei'ective, in certainrespects, some of them being too complicated"for satisfactory commercial use while others have been "lacking inefliciency, A machine constructed accordin to the 'rovisions ofminvention is deb I signed to obviatethese. disadvantages. i

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may now behad tothe accompanying d'rawings, forming a part of-this specificatiominwhichz;

1 an elevational'view of a machine embodying my inventio n a V ;Fig. 21s across-sectional view taken sub- ;stantially alongthe-line' llfll orFig. 1,

v showing various internal elements of the apparatus embodying myinvention. 7

In practising my invention, I provide-- a b r p ta 5 th tsi PPQarbmimble .shai't Gdriven by any suitable source of power 1*:40 (notshown). One end ofthe shat6 is provided witha disc like head? havingrigidly attachedthereto a web or spider member 8. A portion of thelatter is cut out t0 form radially arranged legs or spokes 10, the ex-1245 tremities o f which are provided w if hattaoh may of thelugs23,with a downwardly projecting bracket 28 to which anactua'ting rack jteeth and the upper side ofthe projection 34 are shaped into acainsurface il; that engages a roller aameuntea betweenofthe plate 39 andthe 'web membe'rf 8. The angularportion l ing flanges 11 that arerigidly boltedto a section 12 of a cylindrical core ordrum 13 adapted tosupport a tire'carcass or band 14. The portions 10 of thespider memberare provided, adjacent the section 12, with-enlarged bifurcatedportionsthat are bored to receive pins 15 of 4 a pair of hinged members 116having core sections 19 bolted thereto. 7

The web member 8 is provided'with parallel thickened edge portions 21bored to receive slidably supporting rods or shat'ts 22 proj e'ctingupwardly and securedto, lugs 23 upon-the lowerside of a radially movablekey section 5240f the building core. g l "Thelatter section is providedintermedi-- bar 29 is pivotallytattaehed byfmeans of a pin 31. The baris provided, at its lower end, with an angularly'projecting portion 34and .hasa series of rack teeth 35 formed along one edge thereof andextendingalong the lower edge about the angular portion 34.

T he rack teeth engage a pinion 36 mounted 'uponfa shaft 37 having acrank arm 88 s'ecured thereto, and 1ournalled nopemngs formed in a plate'39 bridging the space ber tweenthe thickened portions 21.

V Theside of the rack barfloppositethe gear is machined along an edge43, whereby, as indicated by the dot and dash lines in Figure S0l,*it.slidablyengages, a guide surface 4A formedalongthe inner edge ofthe'adj seen;

thickened portin21 and projecting .therebelow. i

. 'To collapse the core from the full line position shown in Figure 1,the crank 38 is ro- .tated in a clockwise directiomthuscausing i thelowen'endof the rack-bar29 to be swung laterallyso that the rack teethalong the side of the bar 29engagef-the operating gear- 36. o

During the initial stages of the movement, the rack teeth are held inengagement with the gear by the action of the roller 42 upon the camsurface 41.

Continued rotation of the crank 39 causes the rack teeth on the side ofthe rack bar 29 to engage the gear 36, whereby the bar is actuateddownwardly and the surface 43 of the projecting lug ll then slidablyengages the guide surface 44 and the rack bar is thus guided downwardlyto move the key section 24 inwardly to the position indicated in dot anddash lines in Fig. 1. After the key section has been thus moved to theinoperative position, the segments 19 may be collapsed to The coresegments are restored to their operative position by rotating the crankarm in the reverse direction. hen the core is in its expanded position,the rack teeth upon the lower side of the angular portion 34 engage thegear 36 and any inward force upon the core section 24; is transmittedradially against the gear 36. Therefore, there is little or no tendencyso to rotate the latter member as to collapse the core.

It will be apparent that I have provided a tire core collapsingmechanism that is extremely simple in construction and in operation. Oneimportant advantage of a device embodying my invention lies in the factthat during the initial stages of the inward movement of the coresection 2%, the rack teeth along the lower edge of the angularprojection engage the gear 36. As the rack bar is swung about its pivotthere is only a slight radial movement of the section 24. A decidedadvantage'is obtained by this operation of the elements mentioned, as itenables the operator readily to overcome the resistance due to atendency of the tire carcass to adhere to the key section and tofriction between the ends of the core sections 24 and the segments 19.

Although I have illustrated but one form which my invention may assumeand have described that form in detail, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that it is not so limited but that variousmodifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a collapsible tire building core a plurality of relatively movablesegments, a member having an angular portion, teeth disposed along boththe member and the angular portion, means operatively connecting theangular member to one of the segments and a pinion engaging the teethfor moving the last mentioned segment radially and locking it inposition. v

2. In a tire fabricating mechanism a base,

a rotatable shaft mounted thereon, a spider secured rigidly to theshaft, a cylindrical core comprising hinged sections secured to thespider, parallel. guide rods slidably secured in the spider member, akey section attached to the outer end of the rods adapted to be movedinwardly to permit collapsing of the core, a rack secured to the keysection and a pinion journaled upon the spider and en gaging the rackfor actuating the key section inwardly to permit collapsing movement ofthe core sections.

8. In a machine for fabricating tires a base, a rotatable shaft mountedupon the base, a

core supporting member mounted upon the shaft, hinged core sectionssecured to the core supporting member, a radially movable key sectionsecured to the core supporting member, a rack pivoted to the key sectionand having an angularly directed portion at its lower end, a pinionrotatably secured to the core supporting member and engaging both therack and the angularly disposed portion and an actuating crank securedto the pin ion.

t. In a machine for fabricating tires a base, a shaft rotatably mountedupon the base, a core supporting member rigidly secured to the shaft, apair of inwardly movable core sections secured to the sides of the coresupporting member, a pair 'of slidable rods mounted upon the coresupporting member, a key section secured to the outer ends of the rods,a rack pivoted to the key 'member and having an angularly directedportion at its lower end, a cam surface formed on one face of the rackand on the upper side of the angularly directed portion, a guide rolleradapted to engage the cam surface, and a pinion secured to the drumsupporting member to engage with the teeth of the rack member. 5. In amachine for fabricating tires a base, a spider rotatably mounted 011 thebase, collapsible core sections secured to the spider, guiderods'secured to one of the core sections and slidably secured to thespider, a rack hinged to the latter core section to swing in the planeof the core and a pinion uponthe spider engaging the rack.

6. In a machine for fabricating tires a base, a spider rotatably mountedon the base, collapsible core sections secured to the spider,

guide rods secured to one of the core sections to the spider, guide rodsmounted upon the spider for sliding motion in the plane of the coresections, a key section secured to the outer ends of the guide rods, arack bar hinged to the key section, and gear means engaging the free endof the rack bar for securing it against inward movement of the keysection.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed iny name at Akron, in thecounty of Summit and State of Ohio, this 23rd day of Novemher, 1927. r

. EDWIN G. TEMPLETON.

